Rationale/Objective for position
Understanding that community and patient engagement
should be embedded in all MSF activities as part of a People Centred Approach
(PCA), and in close collaboration with the Field Coordinator and PMR, the
objectives of the Community Engagement Manager (CEM) are:
- To establish regular participatory dialogue with key
stakeholders (different segments of the community, patients, staff, ..) to
involve them in the definition of problems and identification of potential
solutions- as an ongoing process & an approach (not just part of
initial assessment).
- To design and deliver contextually adapted health promotion
and health education that supports communities and patients’ agency,
demonstrates respect for the local culture and that responds to the
project’s objectives and priorities as well as the community’s critical
needs.
- To ensure timely analysis and communication to coordination
team (PM, PMR, Log, admin/ HR manager) of detected changes/concerns or
requests from patients/groups/community which may lead to an adaptation of
strategy/improvement of services.
Tasks & Responsibilities
Development and implementation of the community
engagement and health promotion strategy and action plan:
- Co-Defining (updating) the Community Engagement and Health
Promotion strategy
- Considers all key stakeholders (communities,
patients/caretakers, staff, MoH, other actors)
- Ensures cohesiveness between CEHP strategy and key project
components (e.g., crisis monitoring, security management, medical
packages/activities (curative and preventative), WASH, protection,…),
- The drafting and validating of the strategy is a collaborative
process lead and facilitated by CEM ensuring input from PC, PMR, LTL and
admin/HR manager, the CEHP strategy is validated by the PC.
- Together with FC and PMR, build and maintain relationships
with the communities/ key stakeholders, patients and caregivers (using a
variety of methods) in order to:
Involve the community in the identification of
priorities, the definition of problems and the identification of potential
solutions (participatory assessment and/or problem solving), ensuring that the
perspectives/ interests of the various segments of the population are taken
into account,
Ensure communities/patients/caregivers’ perspective and participation in the
process of monitoring, evaluation, learning & continuous improvement
(formal and informal feedback)
Improve acceptance, accountability and trust
Enhance collaboration with key stakeholders
Knowledge of individuals/groups /associations (networking/actors and service
mapping) -> share with FC and Ass FC and update the relevant tools
Contribute to the deepening of the understanding of
the context, culture and populations’ needs
- Implement a system of data collection (quantitative and
qualitative) and knowledge management and that draws from different
categories of information and that is received through a variety of
channels (formal and informal) using agreed tools and standards
- Detect risks/safety concerns (for the population and for MSF)
and changes in relation to critical needs
- Identify existing protective factors, positive practices,
strengths/coping mechanisms and resilience,
- Identify factors of vulnerability and how they affect
different segments of the community
- Identify and address barriers of access of all segments of the
community to MSF services (in terms of ethnicity, religion, gender, age,
various vulnerabilities, etc.)
- Further the understanding of community dynamics, health
seeking behaviour, cultural practices, demographic and geographic
specificities, and how the crisis is impacting the population
Health promotion, health education and services
promotion
- Ensure the cultural adaptation and the local relevance of the
MSF response (based on the understanding of local beliefs and practices
around health, wellbeing, birth, death and dying, violence, identification
of strengths and coping mechanisms, improved tracking of the evolution of
perceived needs and priorities)
- In collaboration with medical teams, develop culturally
adapted HP/HE materials according to project needs and operational
priorities
- Design participatory methodologies to deliver key messages
adapted to audience (consider age, gender, literacy level…). Consider
locally used methodologies for transferring knowledge (oral, through
stories, theatre, songs…) finding balance between creativity, innovation
and local preferences
- Ensure pre-testing of activities, methodologies and tools to
ensure adequacy, relevance and cultural adaptation
Proactive problem solving:
- Proactively contribute to the detection of
issues/concerns/gaps that require active engagement with patients, a given
segment of the community or another key stakeholder (either to resolve the
issue or to identify a potential solution which then leads to an action/
adaptation/ improvement of the MSF response).
- Ensure that data collected is analysed in a timely manner,
that it is channelled to the people in the team that need to know, that it
contributes to project reporting, and that it is used to inform key
strategic decisions
Transversal collaboration and strategic contribution
- Actively contribute to ongoing strategic exchange/sparring
with the project coordination team
- Regular collaboration and coordination with the PMR and MSF
medical team, to (1) ensure the optimum delivery of Health promotion and
health education activities throughout the continuum of care (2) ensure
optimum articulation of community engagement in DMC activities and at any
other medical actions done at community level (e.g. vaccination campaigns,
surveillance)
- Collaboration with logistic teams to ensure optimum engagement
with communities around WASH, NFI, distribution and/or other logistical
activities in the community and in MSF facilities
- Support the Project Coordinator in stimulating transversal
collaboration
- Suggest topics for discussion (and assist in the framing of
the conversation) in project coordination meetings
- Contribution to strategic design, monitoring/evaluation,
learning and continuous improvement
Team supervision, training and role in broader
coordination of community-based teams/activities
- Supervising the CE/HP team and their activities, in and
outside health facilities, reporting difficulties and progress as well as
adapting format and content when necessary in close collaboration with
medical and logistical teams (depending on the content). Planning and
supervising the HR associated processes (recruitment, training,
evaluation, development and internal communication) of the CE / HP staff
of the project. This will be done in close coordination with the HR
department, the administration manager, PMR and project coordinator and
according to MSF vision, values and procedures.
- Regular training/coaching of MSF teams (and where relevant
also MoH staff) on community/patient engagement to integrate the PCA
approach transversally in all positions (the curiosity, the empathy, the
listening, the accountability, etc.)
- Proactively contribute to the coordination of all
community-based teams to maximize synergies, avoid duplication, improve
duty of care and simplify management (even if individual team members are
hierarchically under different activity managers/coordinators)
On request
- Participate in field assessments or exploratory missions
(focus on understanding the consequences of the crisis on the population,
their priorities and preferences as well as strengths and coping
mechanisms)
Qualifications
- Either (1) a university degree in social sciences, social
communication, health promotion or related studies, or (2) sufficient
relevant work experience to develop the necessary expertise to fulfill the
role (which would include community engagement and/or project management
experience)
- Essential, working experience of in related jobs (community
engagement, project coordination, social research)
- Demonstrable background in the development of strategies and
workplans.
- Demonstrable experience in use of participatory
methods/approach
- Experience in management of teams as well as remote
supervision
- Experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis
Language
- Mission Language essential; Local Working Language Desirable
Knowledge
- Essential computer literacy (word, excel and internet)
Competencies
- Commitment to MSF Principles L3
- Service orientation L3
- Cross-cultural awareness L3
- Planning and organizing L3
- Behavioural Flexibility L3
- Results and Quality Orientation L3
- Writing, presentation and facilitation L3
- Teamwork and Cooperation L3
- People Management and Development L2
- Security awareness and management L2
How To Apply
